in vs as hath in part * alreadie beene touched And therfore u In this chap. sect 3. ◠2. Corinth 4 vers 16. the blessed Apostle ioineth both these benefits together saying that while our outward man perisheth our inward man is renued thereby meaning that as afflictions do weaken and cōsume our naturall life so they strengthen further our spiritual life And ô happy losse that causeth such gain ô happy smart that causeth such ease yea ô happy death that causeth such a life Thus we ever come out of afflictiō better thē we were before Wherof we haue a notable resemblance or rather a type prefiguration in the children of Israels bondage in Aegypt recorded by x Genes 15. ver 13. 14 Moses in his holy historie God fore-told that they should be slaues in Aegypt for many yeares and suffer great affliction there but yet that in the end they should come out of it and that with advantage namely with gold silver iewels and far greater substance thē they had when they went thither as y Exod 12. v. 35.36 the event indeed manifestly shewed Even so it fareth with all true Christians they must go into Aegypt and endure bondage there that is they must suffer many troubles and miseries in this life but they shall come out of them in better case then they were before But what doe Gods children come out of their troubles and adversities with more gold and silver or with better apparell then they had before as the Israelites did out of Aegypt No surely but yet with far more pretious things then golde or silver or gorgeous attire namely with more knowledge with more wisedome with more potiēce with more humility with more zeale with more contēpt of this transitory life aed more longing after the life to come which is eternall Now what goodly treasures are these and how farre more pretious then those which the Israelites brought out of Aegypt after their long bondage and manifold grievances there z Tertull de p. ◠ētia c. 7 Tertullian saith strangly Let the whole world perish so that I may gaine patience If hee helde that one vertue of patiēce worth the buying at so high a rate evē with the losse of the whole world how much more should we thinke so many other vertues together with it worth the buying with some short transitory adversities and crosses of the world 10 Last of all a true Christian hath by the benefit of his holy profession this notable comfort against the miseries of this present life that making such religious vses thereof as hath beene said he is acquitted of eternall miseries of the life to come So a Luc. 16. ver 25. Abraham frō heaven tels the rich glutton in hel Remember saith he that thou receivedst good thing in this life Lazarous evill therefore now is he comforted at thou art tormented And saith b 1 Corinth 11. vers 32. S Paul When we are iudged of the Lord wee are corrected to the ende we should not be damned with the world Thus if God correct vs the Divell shall haue nothing to doe with vs. And how happy would the sonne thinke himselfe that having deserved to bee strangled by the hangman might scape by whipping and the whipping too referred to his owne father Thus the evils of paine or the afflictions of this life to a true Christian minister many comforts yeeld them many benefits so that we should rather desire them then bee overmuch afraid of them or dismaide with them Therefore c Bern in Cant. ser 42 S. Bernards meditation is excellent touching this point that God is never more angry then when he is not angry that is when hee sheweth no tokens of his displeasure by correcting vs. For although this may seeme to be mercy and favor yet saith he I will none of this mercy this mercy is worse then all wrath or anger To cōclude let vs make such holy vses of the miseries which we endure in this life as hath beene shewed and they shall serue vs for an acquittance of al miseries and torments in the life to come CHAP. 8. That the Christian religion only affordeth vs true remedy against the second kinde of evils that is the evils which wee doe or our sinnes 1 THAT the greatest evils in this worlde are the evils which wee doe that is our sinnes hath been * Chap. 2. Sect 5. already sufficiently declared * Chap. 5. Sect. 7. 8. as also that the best remedies that naturall men though never so wise learned haue beene able to devise against the same are of no force nay that they are rasher poysons then medicines Let vs now see what helpes and comforts Divinity and true religion will afford vs againe the same 2 And first wee must admit it for a ground that neither our selues nor any other like vnto our selues that is meere men can remedy this matter that is deliver vs from sinne For both we and they are so captivated enthralled therevnto that wee cannot possibly free our selues from it as hath beene * Chap. 2. Sect. 8.1 Chap. 6. Sect 4. before declared wherevnto we may adde that golden speech of a Bern. trac◠de gratia libero arbitrio Bernard that although power were given to mans will to stand not fal yet not a power to rise againe if it did fall For it is not so easie for a man to come out of a pit as to fall into a pit It is in vain then to seeke helpe either from our selues or others like vnto our selues in this case namely against sinne 3 Here mans state being both so miserable and also so remediles God steps in to stelpe him when hee was not able to helpe himselfe and after an incomprehensible manner so tempered mercy and iustice one with the other that neither sinne shoulde bee simply pardoned nor yet the sinner be condemned but that both the offense should be punished and yet the offender absolved This may seeme strange and indeed is most strange therefore b Rom 16. ver 25. Colos 1. vers 20. in the scriptures is called a mistery yea a hiddē mistery yea a mistery hidden from the beginning of the world vntill the fulnesse of time that is vntill the time appointed by God in his infinit wisdome for the revelation thereof This mistery in few wordes is that God sent his only sonne Iesus Christ into the worlde to take vpon him the nature of man in the wombe and of the substance of the virgin Mary and in this nature to preach all truth and to fulfill all righteousnesse in his life and afterwardes to suffer a most both ignominious and painful death vpon the crosse that by his bloud he might wash away mans sins so reconcile to himselfe all those that by faith embraced him as their redeemer and applyed to thēselues that most glorious and soveraigne sacrifice
of his death and passion The summe whereof c Ioh. 3.16 the Evangelist coÌ„prehends in these few but golden words So God loved the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne to the end that whosoever beleeved in him should not perish but haue life everlasting For the better vnderstanding wherof we must obserue that the humane nature in Christ is not a distinct and severall person by it selfe as Peter Iohn and such like but so vnited to the divine nature that did assume it as they both make but one person so that all that is in it is truely said to be Gods and al that was done by it to be done by God d Act. 20.28 his bloud was Gods bloud his death Gods death c which necessarily implyeth the perfection of all his actions beeing the actions of him that was God as well as man and both God and man in one person Secondly we must note that all that hee did or suffered in his humane nature thus vnited to the divine he did and suffred for vs that we might haue the benefite of it he tooke our evils vpoÌ„ him our sinnes and death due to our sins and imparted his good things to vs his innocency obedience holines and righteousnesse finally his sufferings partly in his life time but principally at his death vpoÌ„ the crosse his humiliation is our exaltation his condemnation our absolution his death our life 4 This course was most effectuall and availeable in this case yea in the apprehension of man only of force possibilitie to remedy this branch of our miserie namely our sinnes and condemnation for sinne For first e Chrysost in prior ep ad Timoth. hom 7. he that is to reconcile persons that are at variance difference one with the other must haue interest in both else is he vnfit to reconcile them and bring them friends wherefore God and man being at variance it was requisite that he which shoulde reconcile them shoulde be both God maÌ„ Againe man having sinned iustice required that man should be punished having sinned vnto death should be punished with death but now a meer maÌ„s death could not salue the matter for as formerly hath been shewed the death of one sinner cannot pay the debt and death of another every sinner owing a death for himselfe And besides he that was to deliver others from the danger of penalty and death was not only to suffer death but also to vanquish overcoÌ„e death which a meere maÌ„ could never haue don God could not dy maÌ„ could not recover himselfe when he should dy wherefore the Mediatour was to be man to suffer death and God to vanquish death Thus as f Anseâ—m tract cur Deus homo a Divine of middle times sweetly saith Sith such a satisfaction was requisite as none but God could make none but man was bound to make he that was to make it was to bee both God and man Thus our Christian religion only directs vs to the meanes wherein there is possibility of saving vs froÌ„ our sins and hence it is g Mat. 1. v. 2â— that Christ had the name of Iesus that is of a Saviour as he that only could and would do this so great a worke 5 And that he as well would do it as could do it yea therefore only was incarnated and suffered death that he might do it is most evident h Cyp. de Idolor vanitate Christ was made that which man was that man might be made that which Christ was And as i Bernard in vigilia nativit Domini Bernard saith why was the son of God made the sonne of man but that the sonnes of men might be made the sonnes of God Surely k Gregor homiâ— 34. in â—vangel this cannot but yeeld man boldnes with God that God himselfe is become man l August in Psal 148. There is no cause nowe why man should doubt of living for ever sith God hath died for him For shal not he liue for ever for whome hee died that liues for ever Verily it is nothing so strange that mortall man should liue as that â—he immortal God should die specially since this death of the son of God was vniust without cause in respect of himselfe and therefore must needs be available for some others as m August de temp serm 101. S. Augustin excelleÌ„tly saies Death could not be conquered but by death therefore Christ suffered death that an vniust death might overcome iust death and that he might deliver the guilty iustly by dying for them vniustly And thus n August de verbis Domini secund LucaÌ„ de temp serm 141. by taking vpon him our punishment without taking vpon him our fault he hath discharged vs both of the punishment and the fault And that by good right o Bernard ad milites templi c. 4. sith although because he was maÌ„ he could die yet because he was iust he ought not to haue died he that had no cause to die for himselfe in reason and equity should not die for others vnprofitably Neither surely did hee but to greatest purpose namely that the sonne of God dying for the sonnes of men the sons of men might be made the sonnes of God as we heard before out of S. Bernard yea that of bad servaÌ„ts men might be made good sonnes as p Aug. ser 28 Saint Augustine speaketh and this glorious mystery of our Saviours incarnation and passion must needes bring foorth glorious effects q Ansel in c â— ep ad Eph this strange and vnspeakeable loue of God that his only sonne should die for vs that a Lord should die for servants the creatour for the creature God for man this strange loue I say must needs be of strange operation as it is r Bern. feria 4. heb dom paenolae even to make of sinners iust men of slaues brethren of captiues fellow heires and of banisht persons kings 6 Why then shoulde our sins dismay vs if we be vnfainedly sorrie for them and by faith haue recourse vnto Christ that hath borne the punishment of them O let vs thinke vpon this comfortable chaÌ„ge Å¿ August m Psal 2â— c. narrat 2. that Christ made our faults his faults that hee might make his righteousnesse our righteousnesse t Iust Martyr ad Diagnetum O sweet exchange o vnsearchable skill that the vnrighteousnes of many should bee hidden in one that is righteous the rightteousnesse of one should cause many that are vnrighteous to be accounted righteous Although we bee not nor cannot bee without sinne yet as long as our sins are not imputed to vs they cannot hurr vs. The princely prophet David as u August in Psal 32. c naâ—rat 2. S. Augustine well obserues saies not they are happy that haue no sinne but whose sinnes are covered Surely if God haue covered our sinnes he will not see them if he will
Now although the laws of Method order require that I should first speak of the first namely the evils of faulte as being the cause of the later to weet the evils of paine yet because we are more moved with the punishments of sinne then with sin it selfe I will begin with that which is most sensible applying my selfe herein to our corruption and grosnesse 2 The evils of paine are of tvvo sorts For the punishment of sin is either temporall to weete all the miseries of this present life or eternall that is to say the tormentes of hell in the life to come The former are so palpable that the meere natural man feeles them grones vnder the burden of them as the complaints of the very heathen manifestly testifie b Sen. praefat in natural questioÌ„ Seneca the miracle of nature for morall learning cries out thus Ah what a base and abiect creature is maÌ„ except he advaÌ„ce lift vp himselfe aboue maÌ„ that is aboue the condition and state of man c Plin. natural hist l. 2 cap. 7. An other saies that this only is certaine that nothing is certaine and that there is not a more miserable nor yet for all that a more proude creature than man And d Idem lib. 7 in prooem againe that it is vncertaine whether nature bee a kinder mother or harder step mother to maÌ„ kind e Cic. de repub lib. 3. apud August contra Iulian lib. 4 c. 14 15 A third renowned for his learning and eloquence complaines that Nature hath brought man forth into the world not as a mother but as a step mother with a body naked weake and sickly and a minde distracted with cares deiected with feares faint for labour and addicted to lust and pleasures And hence grew that coÌ„mon speech among the Gentils related by f Aristot in Eudemo apud Plutare consolat ad Apolon Aristotle repeated g Cic. Tuâ—c quaest lib. 1. by Cicero h Plut. ibid. Plutarch fathered by all three vpoÌ„ Silenus that the best thing in the world was not to be borne the next to die soonest And i Senec. coÌ„solat ad Polyb e 28. Seneca againe exclaimes that our whole life is a penance Which the Thracians confirmed by their practise celebrating their childreÌ„s birth with wee ping and lamentatioÌ„ but their death with ioy mirth as k Herodot lib. 5. Solin Poly. hist cap. 15 Val Maxim lib. 2 cap. 6. divers ancient writers recorde thereby insinuating that our life was nothing but miserie and death the ende of miserie But l Bern de consid l. 2. a ChristiaÌ„ author more effectually expresseth this point thus in substance that if the greatest man in the world do in a holy meditatioÌ„ strip himselfe out of his robes and ornaments of state which hee neither brought into the world with him at his birth nor shall carrie out of the world with him at his death he shall find himselfe to be nothing but a man naked poore pitcous and to be pitied lamenting that he is a man blushing that he is naked weeping that hee is borne and murmuring that he is at all 3 And thus much in generall for particularitie would bee infinite of mans misery in regard of temporall paine which is all that the heathen infidel apprehendeth For as for any eternall punishment for sinne after this life hee never dreames of it nay makes a iest of it as wee by Gods assistance shall see * hereafter Chap. 4 Sect. 3. 4. But the Christian proceedeth further and touching evills of paine is most troubled with feare of eternal punishment for sinne in the world to come Hee hath learned out of Gods word m Exod. 20. v. 5. that God is a iealous God and full of indignation when he is dishonoured and we knowe that ielousie is the anger of angers n Exod. 34. v. 7. that the will in no wise absolue the wicked and vngogly o Hab. 1. v. 13 that his eies are so pure that they cannot endure to beholde iniquitie p Rom. 2 v. 6 that hee rewardeth every man accerding to his workes q Vers 9. that tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon every soule that sinneth that the sinner daily heapeth vp wrath against the day of wrath and declaration of the righteous iudgement of God Å¿ Heb. 10. vers 31. that it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God t Rom 5. vers 12. that death came into the world by sinne u Rom. 6. vers 21. and is the end reward of sinne x Heb. 9. vers 27. that after death commeth iudgement y 2. Cor. 5. vers 10. and that we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ to receiue our meed according to that which wee haue done in the flesh whether it bee good or evill z Matth. 8. vers 12. Marc. 9. v. that whosoever shall be condemned in this iudgement shall bee cast for ever into vtter darknes where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth a Aug. in locos aliquot ep ad Rom. numero 42. Finally the Christian considers as Saint Augustine saies that every man by sinning selleth his soule to the devil taking the svveetnesse of temporarie pleasure for the price thereof And thus much for the evils of paine that make mans state so miserable 5 The seconde braunch of mans miserie are the evils of fault or his sinnes which indeede is the greatest part of his miserie although commonly it be least felt and the Infidel scarse feeles it at all For as b Sen. ep â—8 a Heathen himselfe well observed Men are not greaved for their faults before they be greeved with the bad successe of their faults that is they are not sorie for doing ill but for speeding ill not that they are naught but that they are wretched in a word they greeue that they are miserable not that they are wicked and worthie to be miserable that they are punished not that they haue deserved to bee punished Which is verified not only in the common sort of whome he meant it but of the best amongst the Gentils yea of himselfe too For howsoever they seeme to teach sometimes that vice is an evill of it selfe as c Plato de Repub l 4. Plato divinely affirmes that no man can doe wrong to another but first hee must doe wrong to himselfe and d Plutarch quod solum vitium sufficiat ad hominem miserum reddendum another hath writteÌ„ a whole Treatise to proue that vice alone is sufficient to make a man miserable which worke of his is pittifully mangled by iniurie of time yet they only apprehend vice as a political or at the most a morall evill a politicall evill for as much as it made men subiect to punishment and obnoxious to publike iustice or as a morall evill that stained and impaired their reputatioÌ„ and
to him when we imagine he is so severe and righteous that he can not or will not pardon our sinnes when we confesse them and are hartely sory for them whereas hee even delighteth to doe it and takes pleasure in it a Psal 51. v. 18. according to that in the Psalmist that a bruised spirit and a contrite heart are a sacrifice to God Thus God drawes arguments both from our imperfection and his owne perfection to perswade vs of his readinesse to pardon and to let vs see how easily it may be done 6 To conclude looking backe to the foundation of his mercy namely the incomprehensible misterie of the incarnation and passion of his sonne Iesus Christ * Chap. 8. throughout before declared wee must needes see that his loue towards mankinde is infinit and because infinite therefore greater then our greatest sinnes b Cyprian sermon de patientia Christs bloud washed even them that shed it vpon their repentance and whom then can it not wash God would haue his owne and only sonne to dy that maÌ„ might liue was content that his bloud should be our ransome Doubtlesle theÌ„ saith c Augustin Ieâ—m 10â— Augustine hee that bought vs with so great a price will not haue vs cast away Let vs then haue refuge to this infinit mercy of God and our sinnes will vanish away as a bubble Our sinnes saith d Basil in regul contract quaest â—3 Basil may both be measured numbred but it is impossible that Gods goodnes should be measured or his mercies numbred Let vs then resolue e Anselm in Meditat. that although our offenses haue deserved damnation our repentance bee not sufficient for satisfaction yet Gods mercy is greater then all transgression yea that as far as God is superiour to man so farre is our wickednesse inferiour to his goodnesse Wee may then with f Bernard feria 4. hebdom poenosae Bernard reason thus What shall misâ—rie overcome mercy shall not mercy rather conquer miserie Yes sure g Chrysost proaem in Eâ—ai our sicknesse hath measure but the medicine is without measure and shal not vnlimited goodnesse prevaile against limited wickednesse or shal not a salue of infinit vertue cure a soare of finite malignity Gods mercy is a huge yea a boundlesse and bottomlesse sea and our sinnes compared therevnto are but as a little sparkle now saith Chrysostome suppose that a little sparkle should fall into the maine sea could it abide there would it not instantly be extinguished and never appeare more Doubtlesse so great a water must needes out of hand quench so small a fire yea a sparkle onely of fire Away then with despaire and let vs assure our selues h Gregor Moral lib. 3â— cap. 11. as Gregorie well saith that despaire for sinne is worse then sinne it seâ—fe CHAP. 11. The Christians peculiar comfories against death and the terrours thereof 1 DEath beeing the greatest temporall punishment for sinne it may seeme to some that I should haue spoken thereof * Chap. 7. sect 2. seâ— before when I hanled the remedies against all temporarie evils which wee suffer in this life NotwithstaÌ„ding I haue purposely reserved the handling thereof vnto this place because it may bee obiected against our deliverance from sinne by Christ declared in the Chapter next before going that for al that the faith full die as well as other men and cannot not possibly escape death but must be and are subiect to the vniversall lawe of inevitable mortalitie Besides the chiefe and soveraigne remedy against this evill namely death is our deliverance from sin therefore I thought good to speake of that before that so I might be the briefer here referring the Reader to the former chapter for particularity and coÌ„tenting my selfe heere with a generall repetition and application thereof 2 First then as for death we are to consider that it is chiefly sinne that makes it so terrible vnto vs therefore a 1 Corinth 15. vers 56. the Apostle saith that sin is the sling of death Now as wee haue seene at large * 8.9.10 in some former chapters we are so delivered from sin in Christ that it cannot hurt vs nay is converted to our benefit and profit therefore Death having her strength from sinne is not to be feared sith sinne which is her sting is overcome What need we feare the snake that hath lost her sting Surely the snake that hath lost her sting can only hisse and keep a noise but cannot hurt therefore we see that many having takeÌ„ out the sting will carry the snake in their very bosomes without any feare Even so although we carry death in our bodies yea in our bosomes and bowels yet sinne which was her sting being pulled out she can only hisse and stirre shee may and ordinarily doeth looke black and grimme but yet cannot any way annoy vs. 3 Which will bee the more manifest if we weigh that Christ our head hath conquered and quelled this Gyant so that none that bee his neede stand in feare thereof Death b 1. Corinth 15. v. 55 saith S. Paul is swallowed vp in victorie c Revelat. 1. v. 18. Christ was dead but now he liveth and that forever and hath the keyes of hell and death as he himselfe testifieth of himselfe Now he that hath the keyes of a place hath the coÌ„mand of it it is as much then as if it had been said he had the coÌ„mand of death power to dispose of death at his pleasure And will Christ that hath such an enemie at his mercy let him annoy his deare friends nay his owne members and so in effect himselfe No no he conquered death for vs not for himselfe sith death had no quarrell to him by his vniust death then hee hath vanquished our iust death as we heard * Chap. 8. Sect. 5. before out of Augustin d Bernard ad miâ—iâ—es Templi sermon 4. The death of Christ is the death of our death sith he dyed that we might liue and how can it bee but that they should liue for whom life it selfe dyed Surely death by vsurping vpon the innocent forsâ—â—ted her right to the guilty e Hieron ad Heliodor While shee devoured wrongfully was her selfe devoured 4 Yea in that Christ hath vanquished death we also may be truely said to haue vanquished it hee beeing our head and wee his members for where the head is a conquerour the members cannot be captiues f Tertul de resurreâ—t carms â— â—1 Let vs then reioice we haue already seyzed vpoÌ„ heaven in Christ who hath carried our flesh thither in his owne person as an earnest pennie and pledge of the whole summe that in time shall be brought thither We may then boldly say g Augustin in Psal 148. there is somewhat of ours aboue already yea the best part of vs namely our head and are the members farre from
the head h Idem in Psaâ— 88. Yea we may assure our selues that being members of such a head yea body to it we are in â—ffâ—ct where ouâ— head is For saith Augustin this body cannot bee beheaded but if the head triumph forever the members must needes triumph for ever also And that wee haue this benefite by Christs ascension into heaven before hand for vs i Bern. serm de eo quod legitur a pud Iob. in sex tribulatio nibus c. Bernard excelleÌ„tly sheweth Bee it saith he that only Christ is entred into heaven yet I trowe whole Christ must enter and if whole Christ then the body as well as the head yea every member of the body For this head is not to bee found in the kingdome without his members Hence it is that the Scripture speakes of the faithfull as already raised from the dead placed in heaven with Christ yea as of them that shall not nor caÌ„not die as k Ioh. 11. vers 26. Hee that liveth and beleeveth in me shall never die And l Ioh 5. v. 24. againe Verily verily I say vnto you whosoever heareth my word and beleeveth in him that sent me hath eternall life and shall not come into iudgement but hath passed from death to life And Hee saith m Ephes 2. v. 6. S. Paul hath raised vs vp togither hath placed vs togither in heaven with Christ He saith not he will raise vs vp hee will place vs in heaven with Christ but he hath so raised and placed vs which is spoken both for the certaintie thereof also for the streight vnion betweene the head and the body by means whereof that which is already actually accomplished in the head is said to bee so also in the body In a word the head being aboue water the body can never bee drowned although it bee never so much beaten and tossed with waues And thus much for our first and principall defense against death the sum whereof is this that it is not onelie a weakenesse but also a shame for the members to fear an enemy which the head hath already conquered subdued 5 There are also diverse other Christian comfortes against death which I wil briefly touch And first as we heard * Chap. 7. Sect. 2. leq before that all other evils of paine are to a Christian chaunged into another nature and of punishments become favours and benefits so is it also in this of death For now it is not a tokeÌ„ of Gods anger for sin but an argument of his loue and mercy it is not properly death but a bridge by which wee passe to a better life from corruption to incorruptioÌ„ from mortality to immortality from earth to heaven that is in a word froÌ„ vanity and miserie to ioy and felicity And who would not willingly passe over this bridge whereby hee passeth from all cares and sorrowes and passeth to all delights and pleasures leaveth all miseries behinde him hath all contentation and happinesse before him 6 The Gentils taking it for grauÌ„ted that after death either wee should be happy or not be at all and so concluding that at least death would free vs from all evill and misery therevpon made litle reckoning of death nay manie times voluntarilie procured their own death and imbraced it as a rich treasure as wee haue * Chap. 4. Sect 3. Chap. 5. Sect 3. already heard But how fowly they were mistaken herein hath withall beene sufficiently declared It is the Christian only that enioyeth this benefite by death namely the exemption from all cares and troubles and an ende of all sorrowes Wherefore the death of the godly is called n Esai 57. vers 2. Dan. 12. v. 2. 1. Thes 4. vers 13.14 Revel 14. v. 13. in Scripture by the names of bedde of rest sleepe peace and such like being all names of benefite and commodity How sweet is peace to them that haue beene vexed with warres and broiles how plesant is the bedde rest sleepe to the weary and those that are overwatched The labourer is glad when his daies work is done the traveller reioiceth when he is come to his waies ende the marriner and passenger thinke themselues happy wheÌ„ they arriue in the harbour and all men shun paine and desire ease abhorre daunger and loue securitie It were madnes theÌ„ for a Christian to feare so advantageous a death and to wish for continuance of so wretched a life I conclude this pointe with that elegant laying o Tertul. de testim animae cap. 4. of Tertullian That is not to bee feared which sets vs free froÌ„ all that is to be feared And indeed what weaknesse folly is it to fear a superfedeas against all the things which heare we do feare 7 But the true Christian hath yet a farre greater benefit by death For it doth not only put an end to the evils of paine but also to the evils of fault not only to the punishments for sin but to sinne it selfe Now we haue often heard before that the evils of fault are farre worse then the evils of paine yea that the least sinne is more to be abhord and shund theÌ„ the greatest punishment for sinne Hâ—w welcome then should death bee vnto vs that endeth not only our sorrowes but also our sinnes As long as wee liue here and beare about vs these earthly tabernacles wee daily multiply our rebellings against God and sustaine a fierce conflict and continual combat in our very bosomes while p Galat. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and q Rom. 7 2â— the lawe in our members rebelleth against the lawe of our minde as S. Paule speaketh and leadeth vs captiues to the law of sin which is in our members O bondage of all bondages to be in bondage vnto sin r Sen ep 37. 39. The Gentill that apprehended vice only as a morall evill could say that men beeing in bondage to their lusts were more cruellie handled by them than any slaues were by the most cruell maisters Howe much more should wee that feele sin as al spiritual evill and groane vnder the burden thereof account the bondage there of intollerable and worse than subiection to the most barbarous Tyrant in the world And how welcome should he be that would set vs free from the same Now it is death and only death that can doe this for vs and indeede doth it for vs. What great cause them haue wee with all willingnesse to imbrace it Å¿ Diogenes Laertius vit Phil. lâ—â— 7. Zeno the founder of the Stoicall sect helde it lawfull for them that had loathsome diseases vvhich were incurable to kill themselues that so they might be rid of them and t Con. Nepos in vita Titi Pomp. Attici See also the like of Tullius Marcellinus in Seneca ep 78. Pomponius Atticus others put it in practise If they counted it a
benefite to be delivered from a loathsome disease of the body by an vnlawfull and wicked death we haue reason to think it a benefite yea a singular benefite to be ridde of a loathsome and incurable disease of the soule namely sinne by a lawful death which it pleaseth God to send vnto vs. 8 But death doth more for vs than all this For it doth not only free vs from all evils and from that evil of evils sinne but puts vs into actual possession of all good things yea of such good thinges as our eies haue not seene our eares haue not heard neither are our harts able to conceiue brings vs to that place where if there were place for any passion we should be angry with death for not bringing vs thither sooner But I reserue a more particular declaration of that point vnto the thirteenth and last chapter CHAP. 12. Consolations against the terrours of the generall iudgement 1 THERE is yet an other thing which considered in it selfe is a greater branch and part of mans misery in regard of passiue evils than all the rest namely the last and generall iudgement where all flesh shal be arraigned before Gods Tribunall bar to giue an account of all they haue done to receiue their recompense accordingly The terror wherof I had rather expresse in a Anselm in libro medita tionum Anselmes wordes than in mine own O hard distresse saith he on one side wil be our sinnes accusing vs on the other side iustice terrifying vs vnder vs the gulfe of hell gaping aboue vs the iudg frowning within vs a conscience stinging without vs the world burning Which way then shall the sianer thus surprised turne himselfe To hide our selues will be impossible to appeare will be intolerable Wherewithal then shal miserable man arme himselfe against this so great terrour danger Surely our Christian profession affordeth munitioÌ„ against this assault also 2 And first that which hath beene spoken against the feare of death in the former chapter serveth also here against the feare of the last iudgmeÌ„t For that which made the first death so terrible and dangerous the same maketh the second death also so to bee namely sinne and as deliverance froÌ„ sinne doth as we there heard free vs from al annoyance by the first death so doth it also from all annoyance by the second death that is eternal condeÌ„nation at the last iudgement They that in Christ are coÌ„querers over the first death shall not nor cannot bee conquered by the second death and b Rev. 2c 6. on those that haue their part in the first resurrection the second death shall haue no power saith the spirit That is condemnation caÌ„not take hold on those whom God hath gratiously called to the knowledge and love of his saving truth reveiled by the Gospell 3 But to come to more peculiar comforts against this matter of terrour and amazement let vs farther consider that Christ had mercy on vs wheÌ„ we were meere strangers to him nay even when we were his enemies as c Rom. 5. v. 8.9.10 S. Paul well vrgeth God herein saith he commended his loue towards vs that when we were sinners Christ dyed for vs being theÌ„ now iustified by his bloud much more shall we be saved by him from that wrath Note that he saith from that wrath that is froÌ„ the wrath of the last iudgemeÌ„t For if saith he when we were enemies we were reconciled vnto God by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saved by his life Wee may easilie perceiue the force of the Apostles comfortable reasoning to wit that sith Christ died for vs when wee were sinners that is nothing but sin surely hee will saue vs being now righteous in him if wee were pardoned through his death when we were enimies wee shall much more bee saved by his life now that we are friendes For how incredible is it nay rather how impossible that he which pardoneth an enemy should condemne a friend He loved vs when wee bare the image of the devill and will hee not much more loue vs now since he hath in parte repaired his fathers image in vs and confirmed vs to himselfe We were deare to him when there was no iot of goodnesse in vs can hee reiect vs nowe that wee haue some good things in vs although but weake specially hee himselfe being the author and former of them by the grace of his holy spirit And so d Bernard epist 190. Bernard reasons For having spoken of our calling vnto the grace of the Gospell he inferres this beeing thus puld out of the power of darknesse I will not now feare to be reiected by the father of light being iustified freely in the bloude of his sonne Why it is he that iustifieth who is it that shall condemne Surely hee will not condemne the iust that had mercie on a sinner c. Thus wee see he reasoneth from that which GOD hath done for vs already to that which he will doe yea in a sort must doe for vs here after And we must all reason after the same manner and saie everie one to his owne soule with e Augustin in Psal 96. Saint Augustine Thou wast wicked and hee dyed for thee thou art now iustified and will hee forsake thâ—e 4 Moreover to take away the terrour of the last iudgement consider who shall be the Iudge even Christ himself that was thy redeemer And hovve canne wee feare such a iudge How happy in our case that hee must be our iudge that was himself iudged for vs He is our husband and wee his wife by whoÌ„ would the wife chuse to be iudged but by the husband specially by so kinde a husbande as wee haue * Chapt. 10. Sect. 2. marginal letter d. before heard him to be who sheweth that favour that no husband doth yea he is our head we are his meÌ„bers wil the head giue sentence of condeÌ„natioÌ„ against his own meÌ„bers This in effect were to giue senteÌ„ce against himself He is our advocat and Proctor how happy would we think our selues if in causes touching this life our own atturney might be our iudg He is now thine advocate f August in Psal 51. saith Augustine that hereafter shall be thy iudge Let vs then assure our selues he vvill not coÌ„demne vs that hath already been coÌ„demned for vs. 5 Yea so farre of is it that the last and generall iudgement shoulde be terrible vnto vs that it should rather minister matter of great ioy and comfort vnto vs. And therefore our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ having set downe the chiefe signes and tokens that should go before the day of iudgment saith to the faithful g Luc. 21.28 When yee see these things begin to come to passe looke vp and lift vp your heads for your redemption draweth neere So that by Christes owne exhortation in this place when wee thinke vpon the
for my owne particular it hath ever beene far beyond not only my desert but also my desire But to come to the more ordinary endes of such dedications they are principally three comfort honor duty or rather discharge of duty all which I confesse haue prevailed with me in the dedication of these my slender discourses vnto your Lady ship Many haue not only dedicated their writings but directed their whole Treatises to such as they desired to comfort as i Plutarch consolat ad Apollonium Plutarch k Senee consolat ad Polyb Abin Martiam Seneca and others Now this Treatise of mine tēding only to comfort vs in generall against all misery wherevnto our life in this fraile and transitory world is subiect I haue dedicated the same to your Ladyship that if it afford any vse of that nature your Ladiship might principally haue the benefitte thereof whose almost insupportable crosses yea without great measure of grace meerely insupportable stand not a little in need thereof I must in discreation omit particulars which are to well knowne to them that know you your state Secōdly whereas many in their dedications as much as in them lie seek to honor their vertues to whom they intitle their works I professe that I haue here in much respected the same in behalfe of your Ladiship For having beene a long time an eye witnesse of your vertuous and religious conversation occasionally as it were enforced to take notice of the manifold and excellent graces of God shining in you I could not but most willingly imbrace any opportunitie to giue some publike testimonie therevnto and a fitter could not occur then the publishing of this Treatise And yet here I must doe you wrong by omitting particulars who of your excessiue modestie would hold your selfe wronged if I should in particular giue you but your due praises and specifie your most eminent vertues I therefore rather chuse to wrong you indeed then you should conceiue and complaine that you are wronged Lastly as for obligation and duty mine towardes your Ladishippe is so greate that this consideration alone without any other motiue would haue beene sufficient to make mee straine my best indeavours to the highest to strike out some part of my scoare if paper payment may bee currant and verball acknowledgement may satisfie for reall benefittes which indeed cannot bee but by the favourable acceptance of generous and noble mindes who deeme that mercenarie beneficence is no beneficence Of which temper knowing your Ladiships spirit to be I haue beene encouraged to shift out by this kinde of beggerly recompence I heare therefore deare Madame present vnto you the Anatomie of my best thoughts entreating your favorable acceptation thereof To you are they due aboue al others such as they are being the fruits of that tree to wit my vnworthie selfe that hath continually bin watered and cherished by your manifold Christian favors But here againe I must forbeare particulars least I should be offensiue and therefore I end mosi affectionately commending your good Ladyship to the grace of God in Christ Barstable in Devonshire 1609. Ianuarie 1. alias Newyeares day Your Ladiships most obliged RICHARD SMYTH THE CONTENTS of the severall Chapters Chap. 1. The vanity of all knowledge without the right knowledg of our selues Chap. 2. Agenerall consideration of mans miserie Chap. 3. The Gentils miserable ignorance of the true cause of mans miserie Chap. 4. That as the Gentils knew not the true cause of mans misery so neither did they know the vtmost and height of it Chap. 5. That the Gentils being ignorant both of the cause and the greatnes of mans misery haue grosly erred in the true remedies against the same Chap. 6. That true religion reveiled vnto vs by Gods word only discovereth vnto vs the cause of our miserie Chap. 7. The true remedies which Christiā religion affordeth against the first kinde of mans miserie that is the evils of paine Chap. 8. That the Christian religion onlie affordeth vs true remedie against the second kinde of evils that is the evils which we do or our sinnes Chap. 9. Consolations against certaine circumstances of sinne namely long cōtinuance therein before our conversion and relapse into it after our cōversion Chap. 10. Of the greatnesse of Gods mercie wherewith the greatnes of sinne hath no proportion Chap. 11. The Christians peculiar comforts against death and the terror thereof Chap. 12. Consolations against the terrours of the generall iudgement Chap. 13. The ioies of heaven and glorious state of the faithfull after death The sinners counsell to his soule A Sonnet of the Authors A wake ô Soule and looke abroad Shake off this drowsie sleepe of sin Shake off the clogs that thee so load And to be wise at length begin Thou commest of a race divine Derived from the Deitie And therefore shouldst with vertue shine Such parentage to testifie But thou through Satans guile and spite Didst shamefully degenerate And now to sense and appetite Thy selfe dost basely captivate And so with vice art thou defilde Which fowler is than leprousie That now thou seem'st no more Gods childe But one of Satans progenie Appointed heyre of heavenly ioies With God himselfe aboue to reigne Thou doatest here on earthly toyes On ciphers shaddowes meerely vaine And here thou foolishly dost thinke In pleasures vaine content to finde While thou dost but thy poison drinke Such deadly dregs they leaue behinde For pleasure which in sin men take Is in a moment gone and past Whereas the wounds which it doth make Remaine behinde and ever last And of such wounds thou bearst the print And with them fowly gashed art Although that thou more hard than flint Felst not at first their deadly smart But now that God in mercie great Good thoughts into thee daignes to send And everlasting death doth threat Except with speede thou dost amend O flie thou from that monster vile From subtill and inchanting sinne That hath so wrongd thee all this while And cause of such annoyance bin The birds and beasts that scape the snare Backe to the same no baite can traine So wary afterwards they are As never to come there againe Then blush ô soule that creatures mute The dangers past should after shunne And thou shouldst be so mad and brute As into them againe to runne Thinke how thou dost thy selfe expose To danger deepe by every sinne Even heaven and heavenly ioies to lose And bell and bellish woes to winne For who so ventures to rebell Against the Lord and followes vice His soule he to the divell doth sell And takes vaine pleasure for her price Then loath this world sofull of snares A maze of errours shop of lies A stage of shaddowes cage of cares An Eccho of complaints and cries Thou seest all worldly ioyes deceiue They promise to content the minde And yet still emptie doe it leaue Which shewes they feed it but with winde Then cleaue to God thine only stay Who for himselfe
had given over and condemned forsaking what hee longed for and againe longing for what he had forsaken thus our loue and loathing of the very same thinges play their parts by turnes and desire and remorse devide our life betweene them And herein againe we must needs acknowledge that sinne makes vs worse then beasts For saith m Hieron ep 10. ad Furiam S. Ierom the very seely beasts and wandering birds will not bee taken twice in the same traps or snares yet foolish man relapseth often into the same vices that is indeed is often taken in the very same snares of sinne and Satan This is the sinners Labyrinth or maze whereinto being once entred he of himselfe can never get out of it 10 This I say is the evil of evils makes man miserable even sin considered in it selfe without regarde of any punishment either temporal or eternall which notwithstanding inseperably accompany the same And surely the spiritual man cannot chuse but be ashamed of himselfe yea loath himselfe and conceiue indignatioÌ„ against himselfe when he seriously coÌ„sidereth his sinnes barely in theÌ„selus both for the importaÌ„t reasons before specified and also because it is an intollerable ingratitude against God that he having made all other things for man and man for himselfe those other things do still serue man yet man will not serue God O what vnkindnes is this that God should make all creatures serue vs yea and a great many of them to maintaine our life by their death and yet wee should refuse to serue him This should most pinch man doth the spiritual man And this is the proper difference betweene morall repentance Theologicall repentance that by the former men are grieved that they haue offended against honesty but by the latter that they haue offended against piety This made n Rom. 7 â— 24 the blessed Apostle to cry out against the bondage of sin in this passionate mannâ—r O wretched man that I am who shal dâ—lâ—uer me froÌ„ the body of death He o 2. Corinth 11. vers 23. else where makes mention of his imprisonments his whippings his stoning and sundry other extremities which hee had indured but none of these made him crie when he spake of them only when he comes to speake of his bondage vnder the tyranny of sinne then he cannot chuse but breake out into wofull exclamation And the same affection although not the same degree of affection is in all the godly that abhorre sinne even as hell it selfe p Aug epist 144. as S. Augustine notably saith Hee that is afraid of hell fire is not afraid to sin but to burne he is afraid to sin that hateth sin it self as he hateth hell fire And thus haue I in generall decyphred and discovered mans miserie I say only in general for to anatomize it in particular were to roaue in a sea that hath neither bottome nor shoare It remaineth that we should nowe come to the true remedies thereof but that I thinke it expedient first to speake of the cause thereof sith the knowledge of the cause of any evil brings great light to the cure and before that againe to shewe mans grosse ignoraunce of the right causes of his misery and this God willing shall be the argument of the next Chapter CHAP. 3. The gentils miserable ignoraunce of the true cause of mans miserie 1 VVe haue heard in the former chapter that mans misery is so sensible that the very heathens haue apprehended it and much complained thereof specially of the evils that man suffers in this world for as for the evils which he doth which are far the greater of greater force to make him miserable they were but coldly touched therewith But as concerning the cause either of the one or the other kinde of miserie they were altogither ignorant thereof therfore no marvel if they knewe not the true remedies either against the one or the other And surely touching the cause of mans misery their conceipts coniectures were so strange that it is doubtful whether we should more piety them or laugh at them 2 The general coÌ„ceipt of the most sufficient among them much more of the vulgar sort was that the first braÌ„ch of mans misery namely the manifold and grievous evils which he suffereth in this life grew from this that Gods providence was confined in the higher parts of the worlde and descended not nor extended to things below the moone Of this opinion were manie Philosophers Many saith a August de Genesi ad literam S. Augustine haue thought that indeede the high partes of the worlde are governed by Gods providence but that this lowe parte of the earth and the aire next aboue it vvhere windes and clowds do rise are rather tossed to fro by casuall motions In this error was Aristotle himselfe who thought that Gods care for the affaires of the world reached not below the moone as a great many of the chiefest ancient fathers report of him but aboue the rest b Ambrol de offic lib. 1. ca. 13. S. Ambrase who most excellently confures that his profane fancie at large and I cannot here omit one golden speech of his that way * Quâ—s opeâ—ator negligat operis â—ui curam Quis deserat aut destituâ— at quod iple condenduÌ„ putatits Si iniutia est regere non ne est maior iniuria fecil seâ— Cum aliquid non fecisse nulla sit iniustitia non curare antem quod feceris summa est inclementia What workeman saith he can neglect the care of his worke who can forsake and abandon that which himselfe thought meete to make if it be a wrong to God to rule was it not a greater wrong in him to make Sith not to haue made a thing at al is no iniustice but not to care for that which one hath made is greater crueltie Thus the most iudicious Philosopher dreamed that God had no care of men nor their affaires and therefore no marvaile if he in c Plaut cap. in prologo the Poet speaking popularly cry out * Enim vero Dii noâ— qua fipilas homines habent that the Gods made tennisbals of men tossing them to and fro they cared not how Hence then namely from Gods neglect and contempt of men their affaires some held that mans so miserable state in this world did proceed 3 Others thinking this too grosse that such an imputation did much derogate from the wisedome goodnes of god devised another shift and starting hoale to helpe the matter to weete that mens soules were created long before their bodies and lived in heaven but committing some great offence there were condemned to be ioined vnto bodies here on earth and so to endure those infinite miseries wherevnto mans life is subiect by way of penaÌ„ce for the faults they had done in heaven And this being first forged by heathens seemed so probable and was so plausible
given very good counsell to others Whose poore excuse of such his weakenesse was that it was one thing to advise others and another to comfort our selues when the case was our owne But most memorable to this purpose is the behaviour of g Cie Tuse quaest lib 2. Heracleotes Dionysius Zenoes own scholler by whome having beene taught this stout contempt of paine as being no evill afterwards having a bitter and extreame fit of the stone hee recanted his error and cried out that all which his master had maintained touching that point was false that hee now found and felt the contrary namely that paine was an evill 3 A second supposed remedy against these evils of pain both taught and practised by carnall men is voluÌ„tary death or selfe murther whereby men at their pleasure might free theÌ„selues from all these evills of paine Herevpon h Oedipus apud Sence Theâ—ai act 1. Sen. 1. he cries out in the Tragedy that death is to be fouÌ„d every where and that God in this hath provided wonderous well for mankinde that whereas any man may take our life from vs none can take death from vs meaning that none can let vs from dying having power to kill our selues when we please And least we should thinke this to bee but a Poeticall fiction whereby men are made to speake what the Poet pleaseth let vs heare the wisest and worthiest of the Gentiles speaking in good earnest of this matter i Quintil. instit or at liâ— â—â—n proâ—emio Quintilian affirmes that no man is long in paine or sorrow vnlesse it bee through his owne fault meaning that by killing himself he may be rid of it when he pleaseth Yea even Seneca himselfe apprâ—â—ues of this selfe-murther or killing our selues to ende all paine Are we in distresse and miserie Why k Sen ep 12 saith hee there are many and short and easie waies to free our selues Let vs giue thankes to God that no man can be compelled to liue whether he will or no. And i IdeÌ„ ep 70. againe If thou wilt follow my counsell so prepare thy selfe that thou maist entertaine death nay if need be that thou maist send for it For it makes no matter whether death come to vs or wee goe to death Yea m Sen. ep 71 hee mockes and derides those that made any scruple thereof And n Idem de ira lib. 3. c. 15 in another place saith he Which way soever thou lookest there is an ende of all evils to bee found Dost thou see an high and steepe place by falling down from it thou shalt fall into liberty feest thou such a sea such a river or such a pitte liberty lies in the bottome of them if thou haue the loart to cast thy selfe into them Dost thou see a tree whereon others haue beene hanged there hangs liberty if thou wilt hang thy selfe Dost thou see thy owne necke throate heart c they are all places of escape to flie away from bondage Are these too hard and painfull meanes to get out and wouldst thou yet knowe the way to liberty Every vaine in thy body is a way to it o Sen. ep 89. Againe he tels vs that if sicknesse bee incurable and disable the soule to execute her proper actions shee may as well goe out of such a body at her pleasure as a maÌ„ may out of a rotten and ruinous tenement or dwelling house So p Epict. dissertat lib. 2. cap. 16. Epictetus himselfe the wonder of humane both wisdome and piety saies that as they are fooles who wheÌ„ they haue sufficiently refreshed themselus at a feast yet will sit longer yea even vntill they loath their meate and are ready to vomitte so they are fooles that having had their fill of this present life yet will liue longer And in q Epict. lib. 1 dissert c. 24 another place Even as quoth hee boyes when they are wearie of any player sport vse to say I will play no longer so men when they are weary of living must say I will liue no longer And therefore in r Idem lib. 1. cap. sen dissertat 9. an other place hee laughes at their simplicity that complaine of poverty want What fooles saith hee are they that when they haue filled their bellies to day sit weeping and pensiue bethinking what they shall eate to morrow Base slaue if thou haue meate thou hast it if thou hast it not thou maist be packing out of the world the dore is open So Å¿ Sen. ep 12. Seneca highly commends that speech of Epicurus that indeed it was a misery to liue in necessitie but that there was no necessity for a man to liue in necessitie Meaning that every man by killing himselfe might free himselfe from it Yea which is strange t Plato de legibus l. 9. Plato himselfe that approached so neere to Christian truth in many points although he appoint some publike infamy in the maner of burial for those that kill themselues yet it is with divers exceptions and amongst others this is one if a man so doe by meanes of povertie and want And to coÌ„clude u Plin. nat hist lib. 2. cap. 63. Plinie would haue vs beleeue that our mother the earth having pitty vpon vs doth bring forth poysoÌ„s that we may dispatch our selues out of this wretched world when there shall be due occasioÌ„ And this was practised by those that were counted very worthy men x Plutarch in vita Caton Do Cassius â—ist Roman lib. 43. as by Cato when Pompey whose part hee had taken was overthrowne by Caesar killing himselfe as it was conceived principally because he would not be beholding to Caesar for his life or at least would not be put to death at his pleasure y Cornel. Nepoâ— in vita Titâ— Pompon Attici Likewise by Pomponius Atticus who being impatient of a cruell diseale that tooke him in his olde age willingly famished himselfe to death and could not bee dissuaded from so doing by the prayers and teares of his nearest and dearest allies and friends But particulars of this nature are infinite and therefore let these suffise 4 Now howe poore a remedie this is for a man to kill himselfe when he is in misery may sufficiently appeare by that which hath already beene spoken touching the wofull state of man after this life dying out of Gods favour as they that thus make away themselues needs must So that this is not to avoid misery but to change misery yea to change the lesser miseries for the greater and as wee vse to speak to leap out of the frying pan into the fire Yea the Gentils themselues saw at last the vanitie absurdity of this remedy deriding those that because they would not be put to death by others put themselues to death z Sen. ep 71 Seneca who as wee haue seene so much favoured this prophane conceipt yet in some places forgetting himselfe truely saies that it
is follie for a man to die for feare of death and a Martial epigt lib 22. epigram 80 another saies it is madnesse * Hic rogo no â—uror est ne moriare moâ—iâ— I pray thee saith he is not this madnes to dy least thou shouldst die Others haue seene the vnlawfulnes hereof namely b Cicero de senect in somnio Scipionis that this is to forsake the standing wherein God our Generall hath placed vs and to refuse shun the office which God hath assigned vs in this world c Arist Eth lib 3. cap. 7. others obserue the basenesse of it that it is a token of a coward and not of a valiant man sith valure consists in a patient enduring of al extremities And therfore d Martial epigram the very profane Poet scoffes at Cato for killing himselfe of whom we haue heard before truely affirming that it is an easie matter to coÌ„teÌ„ne death in our misery that he is the valiant maÌ„ that caÌ„ patietly beare miserie Yea e Virgil Aed lib. 6. some haue gone farther and seene the danger hereof also namely that it is punished in the life to come placing those that haue offended that way in hell that in such torments as they wish themselues backe againe vpon that condition would be content to endure al the miseries incident to this life Lo the poore remedies that nature can teach vs against this first kinde of evils namely the evils which we suffer 5 Now touching the evils which wee do which as hath beene shewed we should hold the greatest as naturall men haue lesse knowne and felt them than the former so haue they beene lesse either carefull or able to finde out any sound and effectuall remedies against them nay I may boldly speake it that as they giue vs foolish Physicke against the former so they giue vs ranck poison against the later And as it fals out in bodily diseases that iâ— the Physitian mistake the causes of them they apply medicines cleane contrary and such as exasperate the evill not asswage it so it fareth with the maladies of the minde if they that professe skil to cure them erre in the originall ground of them insteed of healing them they poyson them and make them far worse 6 The guilt of sinne which al men carry in their bosome tels them that sinne needes some purgation and expiation or else they must incurre the indignation and vengeance of God But when it comes to particulars what the true meanes of delivering vs from the danger of sinne should be here the wit of man is a ground and vtterly amazed and confounded and the best remedies it can devise in this case are either foolish as wee haue seene they were against the first kind of evils namely of paire or els impious and wicked 7 f See Natal Comes Mythiol l. 1. c. 11.12 Some thought that sinne was blotted out Gods wrath appeased by offering of flowers franckincense and other sweere perfumes but suppose that every meane person coulde be as liberal that way as Alexander the great g Plutarch Apopht Regum Imperat who vsed to sacrifice with so much franckincense at a time that Leonidas his steward reproved him for it telling him that hee must first conquer the country where frankincense grew before he wasted it so prodigally suppose I say every man could be so costly in that respect yet who that is well advised can dreame that the sweet smell of hearbs perfumes can take away the filthy stinke of sinne Others thought by certain washigns with peculiar hallowed waters the filth of sinn was washt away as if that which made the skin cleane made the heart also cleane and that purifie the minde which never came neere the minde Others truely iudging these cures to bee light and superficial though it must be death and bloud at least that must do away sinne vsually killed beasts of al sorts in great abundance and sacrificed them to appease Gods anger and make satisfaction for their transgressions But heare againe reason awaked will tell vs that if all men còuld bee as bountifull as Iulian the Roman Emperour vsually was h Ammian Marcellin lib. 25. of whom the iest went that if he had returned with victorie in his last actions against the Parthians the very kinde and race of buls oxen and kyne would haue beene extinguished by meanes of his monstrous excesse in sacrificing of beasts if I say everie man could and should be at such cost that way yet what strange blindnesse were it to thinke that the bloud of beasts could purge the sinnes of men or that man should commit the fault and beastes should beare the punishment of it 8 But the remedies which the natural man devised against this second branch of our misery namely sinne were not only foolish but also wicked pernicious For first some looking further into the matter and considering that it was no reason that man should offende and beastes should be punished die for his offences perceived that in all equitie man must be punished for the faults of man i See Natal Comes Mythol l. 1. c. 8. And therefore most nations vsed to sacrifice certaine men at certaine times of the yeare to make an atonement for the sinnes of all the rest So k Plutarch tractat de supeâ—stit the Carthaginians sacrificed their own childreÌ„ to Saturne being present thereat and looking on and such as had no children of their owne bought the children of the poorer sort as if they had beene lambs or goates and the order was that the very mothers of them must be present at the sacrifice without making any shewe of sorrowe or compassion at the sight and if they did they forfeited the price of them and yet their children were sacrificed neverthelesse The wickednes whereof is so palpable that l Silius Ita li cus lib. 4. Lucret lib. 2. some of the heathenish idolatours theÌ„selues perceived it and cried out against it yea m Plutarch quo supra some were so moved therwith that they disputed the point whether Atheisme were not far better then superstition and much inclined to the affirmatiue part n Lucret. quo supra Others here vpon directly became Atheists crying out that religion was the cause of all impiety And which is yet more strange the Gentils were so blinde in this point that some of them o Strab. 〈◊〉 as the Leucades yearly made choice of some notorious malefactour sacrifized him for the vvhole as though his death could expiate the sins of others who had deserved many deathes for his owne sinnes vvhereas indeede p Bernard ad Milites templi c. 4. the death of the best man now in the state of sinne cannot profit an other siâ—h every man oweth a death for himself But as hath beene said this remedy is not only foolish vnprofitable but also impious and
not see them he wil not examin theÌ„ if he will not examine them he will not punish them x August in Psal 119. According to the groundes of our Christian faith they are accounted for no sinners to whome their sinnes are not imputed y Idem de nuptiis concupise cap 26 not to be held guilty of sinne is not to haue sinne or to bee without sinne Do we fail in our obedieÌ„ce to the law of God many times break his coÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„ts Why z Idem retract lib 11 cap. 19. all the commaÌ„dements are theÌ„ held to be kept wheÌ„ all is pardoned that is not kept a Bernard in Cantic serm 33 in Annunciat Mariae serm It is theÌ„ a sufficient righteousnesse to haue our vnrighteousnes forgiven and to haue him only favorable to vs whome only wee haue offended True it is that that which is done cannot but be done and yet not being imputed it is all one as if it had not beene done 7 This plea must needs confouÌ„d the Devil and put him to silence For b Bernard if Adams sinne could make vs guilty shall not Christs righteousnes much more make vs innocent Shall there be more vertue in the seed of the first Adam then in the bloud of the secoÌ„d Adam Doubtlesse the greatest force and efficacy is ever in the greater and stronger agent and therefore Christ is fat more able to saue then Adam to condemne and why should not wee haue righteousnes from another as well as wee had guiltinesse from another 1. Corinth vers 1. specially sith c p. 190. Christ was made righteousnesse vnto vs by God the father and shall not that righteousnesse be ours which was made over to vs and made over by God himselfe Carnall generation from Adam shall never be of such force to damne vs as spirituall regeneration in Christ to saue vs. And if Sathan say vnto vs that a bad father soulde vs wee may presently answere that a good brother hath ransomed vs. 8 Finally what could wee wish more d Anâ—elm cur Deus homo lib 2 Being miserable creatures and not able to free our selues from the bondage of sinne and Satan God the father saies vnto every one of vs take my sonne and giue him for thee and the sonne himselfe saith take me redeeme thy selfe with me e Idem in meditat What sweeter entreatie can there bee then to intreate the father in the sonnes name yea for his only begotten and most dearely beloued sonnes sake By this kind of mediation many captiues haue been set free many malefactors haue obtained their pardon many that every houre looked for the stroak of death haue had their liues given them O happy and thrice happy are they that are allowed this favorable and gratious accesse vnto the father in the name of his sonne caÌ„ plead thus O Lord remember what a good sonne hath suffered and forget what a bad seruant hath done 9 There remaineth yet another singular consolation against so great an evill to wit sinne and that is that God in his infinite wisdome turneth our very sinnes themselues to our benefit and advantage so farre of is it that they shall condemne vs. f Rom 8. vers 28. The Apostle saith that all things worke togither for the good of those that loue God g Bernard serm de falac praesentis vitae in Psal 15. serm 2. which is so true that eveÌ„ the things which properly are not thinges but the corruptions of thinges as griefe sicknesse death and finally sinne it selfe doe so The latter may seeme strange and yet it is true namely that even sinne worketh for the good of the faithfull yea sinne is made a medicine for sinne We know how foule a sinne pride is and how deepely it is rooted in our corrupt nature or rather incorporated into it h Hier. ep 30 wee had rather bee without golde it selfe then without pride and selfe liking i Bernard â—pist 143 To doe greate workes and haue humble thoughts is far a harder matter then much fasting long watching and other the like corporal afflictions Nay to doe any good worke be it never so meane and not to glory in it is a vertue that is found but in few and yet to be proud of well doing is little better then ill doing And k August de tempor serm 49. some haue ventured to affirme that an humble sinner is better theÌ„ one that is proud for doing good and that God is more pleased with humilitie in ill doing then with pride in wel doing At least this we may be bold to say l Gregor Moral lib. 19 c 12. 13. that pride marres the luster grace of our best actions and makes them meerely vnprofitable vnto vs and they that overcome their vices by being prowd of it are overcoÌ„e by that which they had overcome foiled by their own victorie We see then of what necessity humilitie is without which all vertues are no vertues and how abominable pride is that in a maner turneth all vertues into vices Whence m Aug. ep 52 S. Augustin professeth that if he were demanded what were the first point of Christianitie he would answer humility if what were the second he would likewise say humility if what the third his answer also should be humilitie n Cie de orat lib. 3. even as the Orator being asked what was the first second and third point of eloquence answered still vtterance Now there is nothing so effectuall to kill that monster of pride and to breed this excellent vertue of humilitie as sinne it selfe when God giues vs grace to bee humbled with the consideratioÌ„ thereof o August â—e Civ Dei lib. 11. c. 14. We may then be bold to say that it is profitable even for good men to fall into some manifest sin that they might be displeased with themselues who fell by pleasing themselues In a word the sinne of pride cannot be cured but by other sinnes which makes vs ashamed of our selues p Ezech. 6. vers 9. 20. vers 43. 36 vers 31. yea and even to loath our selues and to blush to our selues when sometimes others commend and extoll vs that are not privie to our faults So by this means we are preserved both from flattering our selues and also from applauding to others when they flatter vs yea froÌ„ taking pleasure in their iust praises q Hieron ep 32. Aug. ep 64. which is exceedingly dangerous yet almost impossible to bee avoided saving by this meanes And as our sinnes and slippes keepe vs in humilitie so doe they also teach vs feare care and circumspection that afterwards we will not so easily bee overtaken againe so that we may well coÌ„clude with r Bern. quo supra lit marg g. S. Bernard Doe not his sinnes turne to his good that riseth from his sinnes more humble more fearefull more carefull and
yet this in parte insinuates the greatnes of Gods mercie namely that it is as great as himselfe and that no marâ— vaile sith it is himselfe But first let vs heare what himselfe testifieth of himselfe that way that only is able perfectly to know himselfe 2 The Lord a Psal 113. ver 8. seq saith David is mercifull and gratious of long suffering and pienteous with goodnes hee chideth not for ever nor keepeth his anger alwaies hee dealeth not with vs according to our sinnes nor rewardeth vs according to our iniquities but as high as the heavens are aboue the earth so much doth his mercie gue beyond them that feare him as far as the East is from the wâ—st so far doth he remoue our sinnes from vs as a father hath pitty on his children so hath the Lord pitty on them that feare him for he knoweth whereof we are made hee remembreth that we are but dust Here we haue not only a profession of the greatnes of Gods mercy in expresse words but also a liuely resemblance thereof by most proper comparisons yea most forcible arguments also and reasons for proofe thereof as God vvilling shall hereafter be observed b Esai 49. vers 15. Againe saith the Lord Can the mother forget her young childe and not haue pitty of the son of her wombe but be it that a mother may forget yet will not I forget thee saith the Lord. And c Esay 55. v 7. â—9 in the same Prophet to weete Esay Let the wicked forsake his evill waies the vngodly his imaginations returâ—e vnto the Lorde and hee will haue mercie on him and to our God for he is full of compassioÌ„ For my thoughts are not as your thoughts nor my waies as your waies but as high at the heavens are aboue the earth so high are my waies aboue your waies and my thoughts aboue your thoughts And so d ser 3. â— in Ieremie If a man bee divorced from his wife shee departing from him shall bee marryed to an other shall he take her againe should not the land be defiled thereby But thou hast plaide the whore with many lovers yâ—t returne to me â—aith the Lord. And in e Ezech 18. ver 23 31. Ezechiell hee even mourneth for the follie and obstinacie of his people that woulde not returne vnto him and liue Am I delighted with the death of a sinner saith the Lorde and not rather with this that hee should returne from his waies and liue Why will yee die ô house of Israell Out of these Scriptures the like we may gather many consolations wherby to be perswaded of the forgiuenesse of our sins And first let vs coÌ„sider that Gods loue infinitely exceedeth any loue that is to be found in the creatures being as farre aboue it as the heavens are aboue the earth or the vtmost endes of the worlde are distant one from an other And yet wee see that the loue which is in the creatures is of greate force and produceth very strange effects and speciallie that loue wherewith God here compareth his namely that of parents towards their children who loue theÌ„ yea tenderly loue them even when they are vnworthy of their loue and gladly embrace any submission from them f Teren. Andrâ—a Act. 5. scen 3. Propeccato magno paulum â—upplicii satis est patri Even nature hath taught men to plead this * That a father is satis fied with a little punishment for a great offence Nay we see that fathers caÌ„not but loue their stubborne children that refuse to submit themselues yea that stand at open defiance with them whereof the Scripture affordeth vs a notable example g 2. Sam. 15 ver 1.2 c. Absalon most vnnaturally rebelled against his father king David after that hee had pardoned him for a cruell and odious murther and sought to depriue him both of crowne and life For â—in kings these both goe togither vvho leaue to bee men when they leaue to be kings can no longer hold their liues than they hold their soveraignety Hee I say vnnaturally rebelled against so kinde a father and was vp in armes against him And yet see howe his father was affected towards him Having raised an armie to suppresse him h Chap. 18.5 12. hee chargeth his two principall captaines that they should deale gently with Absalon for his sake i Vers 31.32 33. And when afterwarde he had newes that he was slaine he made most pitifull lameÌ„tatioÌ„ for him crying out My son Absalon my son my son Absalon woulde God I had dyed for thee would God I were in thy steed ô Absalon my sonne my sonne Thus nature forced him to loue even a rebellious sonne But most memorable is that which happened in our age at Castillion vpon Loing in France k Bodin de repub lib. 1. cap. 4. A father offering to giue his son a blow for some misdemeanor the sonne ran him through with his sword Here the miserable father perceiving himselfe wouÌ„ded to death never left crying after his son as long as he coulde crie that hee should flie and shift for himselfe least iustice shoulde take hold on him O admirable force of fatherly loue that the father shoulde tender the sonnes life that deprived the father of life But God doth not only coÌ„pare his loue to a fathers loue but also to a mothers loue vvhich commonly is the more tender of the two that sex being passion arely indulgent And of what force a mothers loue is even towards wicked and vngratious children the same author in the same place specifieth by the example of a womaÌ„ of the same natioÌ„ who having a sonne that vsed her most outragiously reviled her beare her threw her at his feete and amongst many other indignities committed one against her which I thinke vnmeet to be mentioned in particular yet would never complaine to authority of him and when the magistrates of their owne accord tooke notice thereof and holding the example into lerable convented him before theÌ„ gaue sentence of death against him the mother came crying and howling in most pitifull sort denying all the wrongs and outrage he had done vnto her And no marvell that the parents loue of their children is so tender and vehement sith wee see howe strong and strange the affection of very beastes is towardes their young ones The loue of their young ones l Sen ep 75 saith Seneca forceth wild beasts to runne vppon the hunters iavelin or speare m Nat. Comes de venat lib. 2. and they vsually either recover them or die in attempting to recover them Nowe these strong instincts of loue in the creatures are derived from God and infused into them by him I speake of the substance and soundnesse thereof For as for the irregularitie of it specially in men it proceedes not from creation but from corruption depravation But I say this loue yea this fervency of loue